Where the Darkness Lies
by Mist188
Summary: Tifa and a "friend" are in a strange place unknown to all except for Hojo, while Cloud and a bit of the gang are in a frenzey trying to find her. The story's eneding is coming up soon! YAY!
1. Leaving All Behind

Chapter one: Where the Darkness Lies  
  
  
  
Tifa stared out the window at the stars. They twinkled brightly, for young children "wishing upon" them. It made Tifa wish to be a child again, careless and free.  
  
She ran her fingers through her dark mahogany-colored hair. She turned her ruby gaze from the stars to her feet that were placed on the windowsill. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged herself.  
  
God, she thought, when was the last time I had someone I loved to hug me? I'm so sick of being so alone. Damn it, I should just leave and get it over with. Cloud doesn't want me. He still loves Aeris, not me. Aeris, not me.  
  
Gosh, I can't believe it's been two years and he's just the same. I'm on the edge! I love him, but I can't wait forever. I have to be fair to him and to myself. It wouldn't be right. My presence is just hurting the both of us.  
  
She suddenly had a terrifying idea. Cloud wanted her to leave. That must be it, she thought sadly. That explains why he rarely talks to me, why he doesn't notice me when I enter the room. I can't believe I haven't noticed before.  
  
She hopped off the windowsill and quickly grabbed a piece of paper and a pen to write with.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cloud slammed the door. Damn it, that was the fifth job he lost today.  
  
"Why can't I do anything right?" he mumbled to himself  
  
"Tifa" he called, "I'm home. Where are you? Why is it so dark in here?"  
  
Cloud mentally slapped himself. She might be sleeping, he thought. That would be the only reason why the house seemed so dreary, so quiet, and so empty.  
  
He quietly walked up the stairs, trying to shift his weight to his abdomen so the staircase wouldn't squeak. It didn't work.  
  
Once Tifa heard him on the stairs, she hastily scribbled the rest of the letter and poured hot wax on as the seal. She took her fingernail and made a T symbol in the wax, hoping Cloud would figure out it was from her.  
  
She opened her window quietly as he called her name from downstairs. She slipped through with half her body out. She grabbed her small travel bag with what few belongings she deemed important. She nimbly slipped out of the window and ran off into the night, not daring to stop until she was out of Kalm.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When Tifa finally stopped, she found herself in a dark, dreary forest. Perfect, she thought bitterly, I end up in a place where it feels the same as me. How ironic.  
  
Tifa walked on the small path, barely visible to her eyes in the darkness. Shit, why didn't I bring a flashlight, she thought.  
  
"You wouldn't have needed one anyway." A voice replied  
  
Tifa whirled around, surprised and frightened. But it only lasted a second before she threw herself into fighting stance.  
  
"Where are you and why are you following me?"  
  
" My name is something for only me to know and as for following you, you actually followed me."  
  
" What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
" You followed where your mind told you to go. I was merely telling your mind where to take you."  
  
Tifa's face was blotched with angry red blotches. She was definitely ready to kick this stranger's ass.  
  
" You twisted bastard, where are you? Show your self, coward!" she screamed into the night.  
  
The voice burst into a throaty laugh that seemed erupt all around her.  
  
"Oh Tifa, you stupid girl. I thought you were smarter than that. As you can see, I'm not in true form. But your mind is the only AVALANCHE member's that was not content. I feed on misery and death. I eat fear for desert and drink blood as if it were wine. Believe me, dear, I will have fun playing with your gullible, unstable mind. I will make your life the living hell it really is. You will beg not to stay awake for the thoughts of me, and you will beg not to get to sleep because you will have dreams of me. You stupid girl. You're just like that failed experiment, thinking there's a purpose to everything. You're wrong, life's one-sided, black and white."  
  
" I won't let you take me. I will fight to the death."  
  
" I know you will. If you try to escape, you will be caused pain on your first attempt. On your second, you will black out. I have you in a double bind, Ms. Lockhart. Might as well give in now, my new test experiment."  
  
" You're right. I'll need my strength to beat your ass when we get there." Tifa spat through gritted teeth.  
  
" Oh, go ahead, girl." The voice said, " If you try to kill me as I reveal myself, you will not die, Cloud will."  
  
Tifa gasped, she couldn't let Cloud die. Defeated, she hung her head low and waited for the being to step out.  
  
When she heard the rustles of leaves behind her and a deep thunk on the ground, she slowly turned around.  
  
The person she saw there smiled venom. He raised a hand in a triumphant wave, with a dark, cold look in his eyes.  
  
Tifa didn't have to try to escape. She had already blacked out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A/N: Okay, I'm sick of only getting 5 reviews for stories I work hard on. I want at least 5 reviews before I continue. Please, be nice and review in that beautiful little box right down there! 


	2. All Alone

.A/N: Oops, I completely forgot to put a disclaimer on the first chapter so here it is. I do not own these characters; I am merely using them for a pathetic attempt to entertain someone. Don't tell Square this, but they're a pawn in my huge plan! MUHAHAHAHAHAHA! Um.yeah.right.ANYWHO! ON WITH THE STORY!  
  
******************************************  
  
Dear Cloud,  
  
Yes it's true. I have left to find a purpose to my life. I'm sorry I am doing this to you, but you deserve this guilt trip. I love you, as you can already guess. I made it so obvious to you, but the only person who didn't notice it was you. I can't, and probley, will never understand as to how you could have been so blind. Why did you break my heart? When Aeris died, I was there for you, to keep you up. I was the only girl nice to you in town when we were young and I loved you for who you were. I gave you so much of my life to you and I never got a part of yours.  
  
I have finally realized that you will never stop loving her and I will not keep you from it. You have a right to love someone else, so I'll not keep it from you. But now it's my turn to be happy. I was hoping you would be the one to do it, but obviously I was very wrong.  
  
I hope you will not come after me and respect and remember me as you knew me.  
  
Please, if I ever meant anything to you at all, do not come after me.  
  
Your friend,  
  
Tifa May Lockhart  
  
Cloud crumpled the letter for the twelfth time, only to smooth it out to search for a hidden meaning.  
  
He was in Tifa's room and had taken out his rage and sadness on everything that reminded him of her. He things were broken and strewn across the floor. Her prized lamp lays mashed into several pieces on the ground. Her out-fits were hanging discarded form her wardrobe.  
  
How could she ever think I didn't care for her, he thought in frustration Why can't I do anything right? Why couldn't I have stopped wallowing in my self-pity and at least once make her happy? He banged his fists against her vanity mirror as silently be-rated himself.  
  
He went downstairs and plopped himself onto the couch. He silently bent over and picked up a picture frame sitting on the coffee table in front of him.  
  
He leaned back and stared at the picture through tears. It was of him and Tifa as they were cleaning out the house they had moved into. They were covered in rags and laughing and smiling at each other. Tifa had her hands on her hips sticking her tongue out, while Cloud was laughing hysterically.  
  
Cloud silently laughed to himself. She looked so childish that day when they were in the attic.  
  
  
  
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" You look like a rag doll, you know." Cloud said sarcastically as he moved more boxes into the attic.  
  
Tifa stopped scrubbing the window with her rag, turned around and placed her hands on her hips.  
  
"Oh, leave me alone, box head!"  
  
"Was that an attempt to insult me because the Tifa I know can do much better than that!" he chuckled.  
  
" Of course I can. The reason I called you box head is because your head are like those boxes; empty!" she spat playfully.  
  
He laughed even more as she stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"You look like Yuffie when you do that!" He bellowed between his booming laughs.  
  
"I HEARD THAT!" Yuffie's voice carried from downstairs.  
  
Tifa herself burst into laughter, still with her hands on her hips as she stuck her tongue out.  
  
Suddenly, Cid popped into the room with a camera and took a snap shot. Cloud and Tifa just laughed even more.  
  
***********************************************  
  
Cloud stared at the picture with a true grin on his face. She did look like Yuffie when she did that. Except, there was one difference. That day he didn't fall in love with Yuffie, that day he fell in love with Tifa.  
  
"Why can't you be the way you were in the attic now, Tifa?" he asked sadly," Why can't you be here with me?"  
  
  
  
***********************************************  
  
Cloud stared at the picture with a true grin on his face. She did look like Yuffie when she did that. Except, there was one difference. That day he didn't fall in love with Yuffie, that day he fell in love with Tifa.  
  
"Why can't you be the way you were in the attic now, Tifa?" he asked sadly,"Why can't you be here with me?"  
  
************************************************  
  
"So she's gone, huh?" Vincent asked as he straightned some things in his room.  
  
Vincent had chosen to live by Lucrecia's waterfall, just as Tifa and Cloud had chosen to live in Kalm.  
  
"Gee, thaks for your condolences and great advice, Vince. That's really a great help." Could said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
Vincent stopped what he was doing and eyed the Tifa's letter criticly.  
  
"Seem like you don't care for her." he stated.  
  
Cloud took his sword out of its scabbard and eyed the ravened-hair man warily.  
  
" Don't you ever, I repeat, ever say that I never cared for her"  
  
"Oh yeah, you sure showed her too." Vincent scoffed," especially after she asked you not to come after her. Don't you get it?"  
  
Cloud just stared at the man in silent frustration.  
  
"Get what" he asked curiously.  
  
"Are you that daft, man!? Why can't you get it" Vincent cried incredusly.  
  
"Look, I know I'm stupid, you don't have to rub more salt into the wound."  
  
Vincent took a dangerous step to Cloud, so close to where he could see the mad depths in the mad eyes. He took a deep breath and calmed down. Some what.  
  
" You have no wound. You have only caused the wound. You are the only one who rub salt into it. You are the one who will rub saslt into it if you go after her. As for calling you stupid, let me explain. She made it quite clear she loved to you and you were too wrapped up in self pity to notice her. She was there for you and stood by your side when no one else would. She loved you the way no one could, not even Aeris. She loved you to death." Vincent replied quietly," Literally."  
  
Cloud lost the fight in his eyes and his head slumped. He fell onto the couch, a jumbled heapof spiky blonde hair and wounded spirit.  
  
"I know, but I do love her. I love her the same way I loved Aeris now. I fell in love with Tifa the day we moved into the house. God, I loved her and I was cold toward her for that. I wanted to shut her off because I thought I was betraying Aeris." he said sadly.  
  
Vincet went over and put a cold hand on the young man's shoulder. Cloud looked up at the man. He had a distant, hurt look on his face. It wasn't anger or saddness or regret. It wasn't a look of idiocity or tierdness.  
  
Gosh, he thought, Vincent's comforting me, Cloud thought weirdly. He's never done that before.  
  
" Cloud, I didn't know. I'm sorry. I have always respected Tifa's wishes and stopped you many a time from interfering with them, but knowing that you truelly love her, I can not respect them. I will not stop you from finding the happiness I never received. I will help you in any way I can my friend."  
  
Cloud smiled and stood up. He and Vincent shook hands in a close to warm way.  
  
"Any way?" Cloud inquried.  
  
"Any way." Vincent replied.  
  
A sly smile crept onto Cloud's lips. Vincent didn't know what he was planning. Cloud wasn't too sure himself. All he could do was finger the small little box in his pant pocket.  
  
Oh, he just couldn't wait to get Tifa back. He would do whatever it took. No matter what.  
  
****************************************************  
  
A/N: Hey! Everybody hit the 5 review mark and I expect 5 more before I continue, so tell your friends about me! 


	3. Fragments of the Past

A/N: FireLily here! I really like this chapter. WARNING: SMART minds required to understand this chapter!  
  
***********************  
  
"Tifa, sweetheart, it's time to wake up!"  
  
The young girl rubbed her ruby eyes and turned onto her belly. She then pulled her pillow over her ears.  
  
She could hear her mother's soft footstep creaking up the stair of her house. She gently popped her head into her daughter's room, then ran full speed and pounced on the bunched up heap on the bed.  
  
Tifa groaned and turned around to face her mother.  
  
"Hi mom," she said sarcastically, " Are you having fun sitting on me?"  
  
Her mother laughed and then retaliated.  
  
"Get up," she replied, " then I stop."  
  
Tifa rolled her eyes while she flailed her arms.  
  
"I would but a certain mother is sitting on me!" she giggled.  
  
Her mother smiled and got off. Tifa sat up and blinked. Today was her birthday, she remembered as she tried to adjust to the bright sunlight filtering from the window.  
  
Suddenly, Tifa gasped in delight. There at the foot of the bed was the dress that she had drooled over for six months in the Nibelheim boutique.  
  
It was powder blue and was knee length. Tifa and her friends would stop at the boutique and stare at it all day. Ms. Strife, the owner of the store, had always asked the girls if the wanted it for free, but the girls always shook their heads. Their families would tell them to bring the dresses back.  
  
"Oh, Mother! It's beautiful!"  
  
She ran to the dress and tried it on. It fit perfectly. She twirled right and left and walked up and down the rug at her door like she was a model and it was the catwalk.  
  
Her mother smiled in approval and Tifa squealed with excitement. Tifa ran back to her mother sitting on the bed and hugged her.  
  
"Mommy, it's beautiful," she looked down and fingered the material, " but how did you know I wanted it?"  
  
"Well, it's quite funny actually. I was out at the square looking for your present and I ran into Ms. Strife. She was out trying to get Cloud a present also, except it was because it was some family tradition. We talked and I told her I couldn't find you anything and she said this dress," she pointed at Tifa's dress, "would be perfect."  
  
"Oh, thank you mommy." Tifa said.  
  
"Your welcome, sweetheart. Happy birthday."  
  
***************************************************************  
  
"Tifa, mommy's dead."  
  
Tifa felt as if the whole world had collapsed all around her. She didn't understand it. She sat huddled in corner of her room. She wasn't crying, though. Mommy wouldn't want that.  
  
Mommy would want me to do the best I could to help everybody else, Tifa thought, she'd want me to be happy.  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock on her door and she looked up. She cried come in a horse voice.  
  
A boy about fourteen popped his head in. His face was unsure if he should have even come to her house.  
  
"It's okay, Cloud," Tifa said, " You can come in."  
  
The boy took unsure steps towards the girl. He sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of her.  
  
"Are you okay? If you want me to leave, I will."  
  
She shook her head. She looked down at her feet.  
  
" I'd rather you stay here. I need a friend to talk to. You know, one I can trust." She said.  
  
Cloud flinched as she addressed him as "friend". Maybe he was dreaming about what he had just heard. No, he told himself, she really did say that. He eyed her in wonder. She doesn't deserve this, he thought; she's such a nice girl.  
  
" Okay."  
  
Tifa got up and sat at the windowsill. She stared out at everybody down there, offering his or her condolences to her father.  
  
" I don't understand it. She was my mom. Everybody liked my mom. She got me the powder blue dress that no one else had," she said, " The powder blue dress."  
  
" Don't worry, she has to fly over Mt. Nibel to get to the Promised Land." Cloud said.  
  
Tifa jumped up in excitement.  
  
"You're right!"  
  
****************************************************************  
  
"Awake, my pet?" A dark voice asked.  
  
Somewhere deep inside of Tifa's mind urged her into conciseness. No matter how hard she tried. She just couldn't open her eyes. She fought for her breath and found that they were shallow. Oh well, something inside of her said, so she just slid into the bliss of old dreams again.  
  
Hojo sighed.  
  
"Women were always too weak for my experiments." 


	4. What's Quickna?

Disclaimer: FireLily here again with yet another disclaimer saying that these characters don't belong to me. Except Raina, she's my brainchild.  
  
***  
  
"Hojo."  
  
The man stopped studying his notes to regard the woman and front of him. He eyed her angrily, apparently annoyed that he had been disturbed.  
  
The woman smiled, oblivious to the glare. She was not a plain woman, but not extravagant. She had light golden hair that seemed to glow, even in the lab's grim, tiny light. It was clipped up behind her head, with what was left of it hanging limply off the clippie. Her blue eyes were specked with violet flecks, which could get someone confused as to where her small black pupil really was. She was athletically thin and under her sparkling clean whit lab coat, she wore a purple knee-length dress.  
  
She brushed some of her hair back as she walked up to Hojo and placed her hands on his shoulder. She bent over and looked at his work.  
  
What is it, Raina?" Hojo asked irritably.  
  
I wanted to know when you were planning to infuse the next set of mako- quickna in the test subject. I have some information about that."  
  
Hojo ran his hand through his raven hair, almost seeming interested. He sighed as his eyes found their way back to the notes he had been working on for hours.  
  
"I was hoping tonight when she awakes from her stupor."  
  
Raina again brushed back some of her hair as she glared at him, like a mother who had just caught her son eating a cookie before dinner.  
  
"You know good and well that that's not going to happen. The quickna amount is too strong. It has knocked her out cold. If she was fully human, the quickna amount would have killed her by now." she replied, her scowl turning into a look of confusion and wonder.  
  
"Yes, I know. Quickna was what killed the Ancient's mother. Inserting raw material power into Ancients isn't a very good idea. Not a good idea at all." he mumbled happily, seeming to grin malevolently.  
  
" Quickna raw material?" Raina asked, cocking her head to the side.  
  
"Yes, quickna is raw materia. It's not in its orb or solid form. It looks almost like quicksilver. That's where it gets its name. The quickna is only silver, but it changes its color properties as it hardens and becomes the orb we know as materia."  
  
"Oh, well the I can see how people can wield materia properties without the orbs then. But why do we need mako?"  
  
" We use mako," Hojo replied, "because as you said, if Ms. Lockhart wasn't fully human, it would kill her. Although she's special, she is still human. So we must use mako so her human part will grow stronger and fight death off."  
  
This time all Raina said was oh.  
  
Hojo sighed as he stood up.  
  
" Well, I'll wait until morning then, but until then I owe a certain woman who saved my life a little bed time." He said lustfully.  
  
Raina squeaked in mock horror as she ran out of the room, Hojo hot on her heels.  
  
***  
  
"Two rooms, please." Cloud asked the woman at the counter, running his blunt hand through his wet, matted hair.  
  
She smiled sweetly as she tried to appear graceful when she retrieved two keys. She brushed back some of her honey hair when she handed the key over.  
  
" Room 202 and Room 203, sweetheart. Enjoy your stay at Junon." She said, her voice about a smooth as jagged rock.  
  
"With a girl like you here at my service, I'm sure I will" Cloud replied as he winked at her.  
  
The woman giggled nervously as he walked away with a wave. She brushed back some of her hair as she stopped and picked up the telephone.  
  
Cloud strode over to Vincent, who was currently ringing his ebony hair, tiny droplets of water falling onto the rug with a dull I pop /I His cape was hanging heavily on his shoulders. His ruby eyes were set in disgust at seeing himself dripping wet.  
  
" Cloud, I will never take one of your 'short cuts' I ever/I again." Vincent as he watched some more droplets tumble from his hair to the carpet, " Tifa is certainly going to hear about this."  
  
Cloud just shrugged and handed Vincent his key. He told him that his room number was 203 and that his own room was beside Vincent. The two men then departed and went to their rooms.  
  
***  
  
Cloud!" a voice screamed, cutting through the night, "Cloud, I need your help!"  
  
The young man spun around, looking around helplessly for the voice that seemed to explode all around him.  
  
"Tifa," he bellowed, " Where are you?"  
  
Suddenly a dim figure began to form in the corner of his eye. The blackness around him suddenly seemed to swirl into a dazzling green. A lock of silver hair floated across Cloud's face.  
  
Then, He saw him. Cloud unsheathed his sword and eased into his fighting stance.  
  
And then he saw his smile.  
  
***  
  
Is Tifa really surviving the quickna? How the I hell /I did Hojo get a girlfriend, and will Cloud be okay through the danger of a mysterious enemy? Find out in the next chapter! 


	5. Could it be...

Disclaimer: Although this story is mine, the characters I use are not. (Yes, even Sephi :sigh: )  
  
A/N: I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far! Strife21, Zelda6, Linda, Silent Shadow, Ah-choo, and the rest of you guys! I'm sorry the story is taking so long. Right now I'm home from school due to a broken ankle, but you guys don't care, you just want the story! Well, anyway, here it is!  
  
* * *  
  
"Sephiroth?"  
  
"Wait." Sephiroth commanded.  
  
An evil smirk seemed to surround Cloud in a metamorphic green. The green swirled itself into red and then, eventually, pink.  
  
In the corner of Cloud's vision, another figure approached him. The person was in a light pink dress, a warm, friendly smile upon her face.  
  
Cloud raised his sword as the man started to approach.  
  
"Don't take one step, Sephiroth, or I'll hack you in half."  
  
The man drew his blade form its scabbard, a metallic ring, echoing distinctively in the air. He also eased himself into the fighting stance.  
  
"Try it, weakling. I dare you to try it."  
  
Cloud ran full speed towards the man, in a frenzy of anger. Sephiroth took a graceful sidestep as the point of Cloud's sword whistled right by his face. Cloud then spun around, the lust of blood in his eyes. He didn't charge again, instead, he waited.  
  
Sephiroth then seized the moment and ran towards Cloud, his silver hair flying in the wind. His sword quickly clashed with the other blade and the struggle for control began. As their swords went round and round, trying to claim the win, the woman in pink watched in horror.  
  
"Oh, Sephiroth, we're supposed to help him, not kill him!" she exclaimed.  
  
"I know," Sephiroth managed to say between his thrusts, "But this kid thinks too highly of himself, Aeris. Someone must teach this infidel a lesson. You should have died in Nibelheim with you pathetic mother, boy." He added as his blade hit home at Cloud's leg.  
  
Cloud's body buckled and he sank to the floor, defeated. His sword rolled out of Cloud's grasp as his hand went limp. He stared at Sephiroth resentfully, but stayed silent as Aeris quickly cast a powerful cure materia on Cloud's leg.  
  
"Sephiroth, from now on, I do the talking." She said agitatedly as she stood up.  
  
She put her hand on her hip and brushed back some of her honey brown hair. She straightened her jacket top and gave Cloud the smile she only had given him.  
  
It was a tight-lipped smile. Of no real importance, yet it could be seen a mile away. Cloud had always loved that smile. How could he not, it was his.  
  
"We know where Tifa is." She said simply.  
  
"Where!?" Cloud exclaimed, hopping up from the ground.  
  
"She's with Hojo in an unknown forest by Junon. I'm very sorry, Cloud, but Lifestream wouldn't tell me exactly where. She is safe, but with Hojo, she's not going to be safe for long," Aeris said as tears started to gather in her startling aqua green eyes, " I'm sorry, Cloud, but she's being infused with Quickna."  
  
Cloud scratched the back of his head in confusion, a look of curiosity and worry plastered onto his face.  
  
"What's Quickna?" Cloud asked suspiciously.  
  
Sephiroth stepped forward and took over the job of explaining things to the twenty-three year old blonde.  
  
"Quickna is raw materia. It can be infused in only inhuman and half- human creatures. Tifa is half-human, so her infusion must be backed by mako to give her human side a balanced strength. Apparently, Tifa has been hiding some thing form her so-called 'best friend'."  
  
"Sephiroth." Aeris scolded in angry voice, but Sephiroth just shrugged and stepped back into the shadows.  
  
"Look, your wasting my time. It gives people the power to wield materia's effects by calling the inner core of their very being. It requires no orb or skill and if you're infused with it, then you're stuck with it." He said in an agitated tone  
  
"Now, please listen, Cloud. Tifa is an Andrelite. An Andrelite is a person who is strong enough to balance being a human and the effects of Quickna. Before the time of my people's disappearance, all Andrelite's were diminished from the planet. Apparently, Jenova was around before the time of the Ancients," Aeris said calmly, "Tifa is the first Andrelite in nearly three thousand years."  
  
Cloud shook his head in disbelief, just staring at the two like they were lunatics.  
  
"Tifa's not fully human. Wow, never saw that comin'." Cloud said astounded.  
  
Aeris nodded in agreement as Sephiroth nodded his head in agreement.  
  
Suddenly, Cloud's eyes lit up with newfound suspicion.  
  
"Infusing it must be hard. He can't be doing this all by himself. He just has to have an accomplice." He said, sitting back down on what was close enough to a floor.  
  
Aeris sat down with and took his hand in hers. She rubbed it affectionately and smiled his smile again.  
  
"Her name is Raina Edinburgh. She found Hojo after we defeated him and healed him. She didn't know who he was when she did." Aeris said as Cloud yanked his hand away.  
  
"How could she not know!?" he cried incredusly.  
  
"She was raised in the wood with her father all her life. He recently passed away. She's helping Hojo for two reasons, one, she loves Hojo, and two, because Hojo asked her too. Apparently, she's being used, because we all know Hojo can't love. I don't know why, but lifestream says if you find Tifa, you must eliminate Hojo, save Tifa, and try to convince Raina to go with you and Tifa." Aeris replied.  
  
"What if I can't?" Cloud inquired.  
  
Sephiroth again stepped up to the two and leaned on his sword.  
  
'Do what I would do. Kill her." He said  
  
Cloud looked at Aeris questioningly, because she didn't scold Sephiroth this time.  
  
Aeris nodded slightly, her bangs bouncing up and down in a way that almost portrayed her sorrow.  
  
"She would know too much about Quickna and could conduct more experiments on yet unknown possible Andrelites." She said.  
  
Cloud nodded determinedly. He wasn't disappointed about the prospect of killing her. She helped Hojo take Tifa. As far as he was concerned, he would have originally done what Sephiroth would have done to Raina, innocent or not.  
  
"Okay, I'll find them. Now, what part of Junon is the forest located?' he asked.  
  
"On the western side." Sephiroth answered.  
  
"We'll visit you occasionally, to help you. Good bye for now, Cloud." Aeris said sadly as she stood up.  
  
The colors began to fade as the two figures faded away. The gently blowing wind died down, and Cloud was left alone in a solitary world of black.  
  
Then, he woke up.  
  
* * *  
  
FireLily here! The next chapter should be up sooner then usual. I just haven't been in a creative mood for a couple of weeks, and I didn't want to give you a force-fed story but I'm back now so you'll see the next chapter soon! 


	6. Making of a Friendship

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own FFVII, although I wish I did. But I guess that will just stay a dream.  
  
A/N: If you somehow think that this is force-fed, please forgive me. I'm a flow writer (a writer that just writes the story the first time and doesn't change it.) Also, I write what pops into to my head at the exact moment, so I really don't know the plots until the chapter is written. Thanks!  
  
* * *  
  
"Ugh. Dreams suck." Tifa said as she tried to get up.  
  
She realized she was in a dark, empty room. There was a weak lamp hanging from the ceiling, swinging here and there. Under it was a single table with one rickety chair. The table was jumbled with obscure papers. No noises were to be heard except for those pounding bullets that rained on what seemed to be a little shack. There was a huge wood cabinet hanging on the side on the left wall.  
  
Tifa's eyes were filled with disgust and fear when Hojo walked in. His hair was in a jumble and he wasn't wearing his usual lab coat. He had no shirt on, showing Tifa how unbecoming a man can really get. He had pants on, thank god, Tifa thought.  
  
He sat down at the table and picked up a pen. He ran his hand through his mass of tangled ebony hair and scribbled notes for a minute.  
  
"Did you sleep well, pet?" he asked  
  
"With all the other screams, how could I not? What do you want with me Hojo? What do you need this time? I'm no Jenova and I'm sure as hell not going to let you make me one."  
  
Hojo rose from his chair and walked over the cold metal table placed in the center of the room. He looked over her and his eyes lingered on some spots that Tifa would have killed him for if she were not strapped to the table.  
  
"Those screams were of pleasure, just to let you know. I want something from you that could save the world, and I'm not going to make you the next Jenova. You'd just get destroyed again." He said.  
  
"Isn't that what you want?" Tifa spat angrily.  
  
Hojo laughed, without a smile ever touching his face. The laugh was horrible, even vile. It was like burning acid to the ears.  
  
"No, my dear, I have bigger plans for you. You're going to extract my revenge on your precise friends."  
  
Tifa's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he pulled a tiny glass bottle from his pant pocket that contained a silver substance. The substance seemed to swirl into itself giving Tifa an eerie feeling that was probley in her right now.  
  
"What is that?" she whispered worriedly.  
  
"Don't worry, it's not going to kill you. It's actually going to help me and," he said in a drawling voice, " hurt your Cloud."  
  
Tifa gasped as he boomed into throaty laughter. He cocked his head back and laughed harder and more evilly than anyone she had ever met. Please make him stop, she begged to anybody who could read her thoughts.  
  
Suddenly, A blonde woman in a purple dress that came down to her knees strode gracefully into the room. Hojo stopped laughing and looked at her in annoyed expression.  
  
"I thought you were still asleep, Raina." He grunted.  
  
She smiled, apparently ignoring his disgust. She clipped a piece of hair behind her ear as she floated over to him.  
  
"I'm about to start the infusion. Unless, this isn't the right time." She said, looking at Tifa's frightened eyes  
  
Hojo's eyes lit up as he nodded and walked out the door. As he walked out, she locked and shut the only door the led to the room.  
  
As she started to pull things out of the cabinet, she started to sing to herself a song that Tifa recognized vaguely.  
  
"Pull down a shining star, never wonder where your dreams are. Show the world what you've got. You'll find you place, just give it a shot."  
  
Tifa found her voice and started to finish as the woman started to whisper the song.  
  
"And when you're told lies, look into my eyes," Tifa continued as the woman whirled around in astonishment, "I'm telling you it will be okay. And when you're broken down, and no one else is around, I'll be there; yeah I'll be there."  
  
The woman's violet flecked blue eyes smiled as she cut Tifa off and continued.  
  
"And when sometimes, it's never quite enough, if you're not perfect, you'll still win my love. But always try to go for first place; do you best to keep that smile on your face." She sang as Tifa joined in for the last part.  
  
"Pull a shining star down, never wonder where your dreams are. Show the world what you got. You'll find your place, just give it your best shot" they finished.  
  
A friendly silence followed after they finished as the woman continued to stare at Tifa.  
  
"I'm guessing your name's Raina." Tifa said uncomfortably.  
  
"How do you know that," she asked as her eyes light up with hope, "Did Hojo say anything about me?"  
  
Tifa shook her head as Raina's eyes lost their glow.  
  
"My name's Tifa."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Again, an uncomfortable silence took the room. Raina finished pulling items from the cabinet. She closed the heavy cabinet doors closed and walked over to Tifa.  
  
She carried the quicksilver bottle over to Tifa and bent over her.  
  
"Listen, and listen good. My father knew yours. Somehow, my father knew you were coming. I'm going to get you out of here. You can't say anything to Hojo and you can't dream about it. I don't know how, but Hojo can monitor your dreams so you can't let him know. I know it hurts, but you have to dream about memories from your childhood, or Hojo will suspect something." She whispered, in intelligent tone of voice.  
  
So she's not as ditzy as I thought, Tifa said to herself. I gotta make a note to myself; never ever hate Hojo's girlfriends.  
  
Raina stood up, brushed her hair, and declared in her fake, high voice.  
  
"Well, here it is. Open up!"  
  
* * *  
  
FireLily here! Ha, you didn't see that comin' did ya? But don't feel bad, neither did I. @_@ Anyway, look out for the next chapter because it will be out soon! 


	7. Starry...Anger?

Disclaimer: Yet again, I'm here to tell you that I do NOT own Final Fantasy VII. I wish I did though…Sephiroth::sigh::  
  
A/N: Hi people!!! FireLily is here yet again. Currently, I'm eating chicken nuggets right now (they're good!!!!) but back to the important stuff. I'm surprised you went over your limit, so here is the next chapter. This story is starting to get pretty good, isn't it? Well, anyway, I'm glad for the reviews and for the more reviews I see, the more chapters you see! Anyway, here's the next chapter!  
  
* * *  
  
Cloud sat breathing heavily in the dark room. The only source of light was the weak moonlight that flowed from the moon out of the window.  
  
"Damn, that's the weirdest dream I've ever have. I must be goin' out of my mind." He mumbled as he pulled his cover off, yet still sat on his bed.  
  
He ran his hand through his hair and then scratched the back of his neck, two habits he hadn't been able to shake off since childhood. Cloud's crystalline sapphire eyes found their way to the window as his feet found their way unsteadily to the floor. He jumped off the bed and walked over to the window.  
  
As he drew back the handle and stepped out onto the balcony, he inhaled the fresh night air deeply, waking him up a bit. He again ran his hand through his untamed golden hair and sighed. He placed his hands on the rail, bent over, and thrust his head towards the star-filled sky.  
  
"No wonder Tifa likes them so much, they don't look half bad." He declared to him self.  
  
Suddenly, a 'shooting star' shot across the sky. Cloud's mother had always taught him that if you see one, make a wish before it disappears. Actually, all the children of Nibelheim were taught that. Wishes weren't made to be wasted.  
  
"Yeah right." Cloud said to himself, "Wishes were made only to raise the hopes of what can't be."  
  
He stormed back into his room angrily, shoved the door into its original position jumped back onto the bed, threw the covers over his head, and tried to push thoughts of what Hojo might do to Tifa out of his mind.  
  
* * *  
  
"C'mon, Tifa, pick up the phone! I need you!" a young girl of eighteen screamed into the receiver.  
  
She flipped her now longer-then-shoulder-length hair back and waited. She adjusted her waist pack of newly stolen materia.  
  
"Come on, come on, come on. Where are you, Tifa? Pick up the stupid phone. Oh, forget it. I'll call Cloud's PHS." She said as she picked up the phone.  
  
She quickly dialed the number and waited nervously after a couple of rings, the PHS was answered by none other than our Cloud.  
  
"Cloud?"  
  
"Yeah, Who's this?"  
  
"Yuffie."  
  
"Aargh."  
  
"What was that?" she inquired.  
  
"Ah, nothing." The voice replied quickly, "What's up?"  
  
"I keep trying to call the house and neither you or Tifa pick up. What's the matter?" she complained, "I really need to talk to Tifa!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's a girl thing."  
  
"Just tell me."  
  
"Cloud, I said it's a girl thing. Look, I'm running out of time, so just put Teef on the phone." She demanded urgently.  
  
"She's not with me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"She's not with me."  
  
"You guys decided to break up?"  
  
"Yuffie, we were never dating."  
  
"Sure you weren't."  
  
"Whatever, Yuffie. Look I think you need to sit down real quick." Cloud sighed.  
  
"Why?" Yuffie said with more than just a hint of curiosity to her voice.  
  
" Just sit." Cloud repeated, aggravated.  
  
Yuffie strode over to the couch beside her and sat down hurriedly. She tucked some of her dark raven hair behind her ear.  
  
"Now, listen to all of it, Yuffie, before you say anything. You see, it was a really starry night…"  
  
* * *  
  
"Yuffie, where are you going?"  
  
"To Junon, Dad. I need transportation right away. One of my friends is in trouble!" Yuffie exclaimed at the man at the desk.  
  
"Yuffie, I let you explore the world once. You're eighteen now, an important age to be, and should be focusing on more important things, like your schoolwork." The man replied sternly.  
  
"But, Dad, she's in trouble!" Yuffie whined.  
  
"Does she not have other friends?" he inquired.  
  
"Of course, but…Oh, forget it." Yuffie exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air cynically, "I'm going to Junon to help her whether you like it or not."  
  
Yuffie burst out of the office door and ran through the vast hallway with tears gathering in her eyes.  
  
"Ms.Kisaragi, are you all right?" a butler asked.  
  
"I'm alright, Franz, don't worry." She said.  
  
There was a man with a smooth yet pale face. He had the manner of a viper, sly and devious. So naturally Yuffie didn't trust the man. His silver hair was a sharp contrast to hers, as were his sky blue eyes. He straightened his tie, nodded and walked off.  
  
She ran through the rest of the estate all the way without being disturbed again. She ended up in the wing that held her room, so she slowed down when she reached the door to her room. She pushed the heavy oak doors open and shut them quietly.  
  
She picked up her PHS while she grabbed a suitcase. She quickly dialed for whom she wanted and started placing clothing into her bag as tears found their paths down her cheeks.  
  
"Lo'?"  
  
"Barret, this is Yuffie  
  
"Yuffie! It's been too lon'."  
  
"Yeah, I know. Look, Barret, please don't freak out or anything, but Tifa's in trouble. Big trouble. Why don't you sit down? This is gonna take a while."  
  
* * *  
  
So, how do you like so far. Constructive critism wanted+needed, so help and author out. Anyway, ideas are appreciated, so email me if you have any, okay? Please review! 


	8. Two More in the Mix

Disclaimer: Yet again I have to claim (unfortunately) that FFIIV doesn't belong to me. By my other disclaimers, you can see that I'm obsessed with Sephiroth so I won't even go "Yes, even Sephi ::sigh::!" ~_~;;  
  
A/N: I know production of the story is getting kinda fast, so I must be escaping this writer's block slump. Which, I promise, is better, for you will see more of my works. There was a murder of a little boy I knew, though. So please bare with me and any over dramatized work that I present in the next week. I'm in shock mode.  
  
* * *  
  
"Spike ass, you a foo'! You got Teef in trouble. I swear when we fin' her, you dead! Wait, never min'. I'll jus' kill you now!" Barret exclaimed as Cloud opened the door.  
  
He lunged at Cloud manically, but he swiftly sidestepped the huge man, but didn't throw back a smart alec comment like he usually did. Barret's face started to heat, but cooled down when his brain alerted him that Cloud had said nothing.  
  
Barret nodded to Vincent, who was sitting on the bed, showing his acknowledgement and greeting. Vincent dipped his head in return as Yuffie came in.  
  
She smiled, but said nothing.  
  
Although somber, Yuffie was still a comical sight. She was dragging a huge suitcase about one forth of the bed Vincent was resting on. She smiled at Cloud, and then Vincent as two more bus boys dragged her next two suitcases in, using a great amount of energy, both of them bigger than the one she brought in.  
  
Then, two more bus boys came into the room with two even bigger suitcases, struggling with what seemed to be a VERY heavy load, and the two more with even HEAVIER suitcases.  
  
"Gosh, Yuffie! Did you bring your house?" Cloud exclaimed.  
  
"No," Yuffie replied with a smirk upon her face, "Just a few things."  
  
Cloud went up the door and quietly shut it. He whirled around to three expectant faces. Yuffie's chocolate eyes were eying the room with a mixture of disgust and tolerance, Vincent's cold rubies, stared into nothingness, and Barret's mahogany eyes, burning with the desire to kill Cloud.  
  
Go figure, Cloud thought.  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. So, Cloud strode over to the door and flung it open irritably to find another busboy holding the biggest suitcase Cloud had ever seen in his whole life.  
  
With grunting effort, the man walked into the room.  
  
"Last…. huff…suitcase for…. cough…Ms. Kisaragi." He grunted.  
  
"Just put it in the corner." Yuffie replied dismissively.  
  
He nodded miserably and trudged to the corner, He was doing semi- fine, until he approached, stumbling, the rug. As his foot caught the tassels, he started to go for a head first dive towards the floor. The suitcase went flying as well, except it flew out of the open balcony window. It flew well over the railing and the banging of its contents exploded in the full alleyway below.  
  
Yuffie walked up to the man and helped him up. He smiled his thanks, but it quickly faded as he saw the look plastered to her face as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and backed him forcefully up against a wall.  
  
"You bumbling idiot! That had a lot of valuables in it! Are you dumb or just very stupid?" she ranted, "That was my backup Walkman, and a lot of my most fashionable clothes. Now it's all gone! Who's gonna pay for it all! If no one does, I'll sue this hotel's pants off! Do you know who I am!? I'm Yuffie Kisaragi, daughter of the mayor of Wutai!"  
  
Cloud never knew a man's face could turn into gratefulness, into indignation, to anger, fright, and even intelligence all in one minute.  
  
"Mam, we could go down and retrieve your things. I'm sure your items are safe and if dirty, we can wash them." He replied angrily, tugging free his collar from her grip, but stayed backed up against the wall.  
  
"Oh, oops."  
  
* * *  
  
"In the spring, I'm leaving Nibelheim."  
  
"All the boys are," Tifa replied sadly, " What are you going to do?"  
  
Cloud stood up slowly, unsure if he should tell Tifa what he planned.  
  
"I'm going to join SOLDIER. I'm gonna be as great as Sephiroth.  
  
"Are you going to be in the newspaper?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"How about television?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Cloud?"  
  
"Yea?"  
  
"Make me promise."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Make me a promise."  
  
"Uh…okay."  
  
"My knight will always come to save me when I'm in trouble."  
  
"That's a promise?"  
  
"Of course, silly!"  
  
"Yeah, so what's this promise gotta do with me?"  
  
"You're my knight!"  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Just promise me!"  
  
"Uh…"  
  
"PROMISE!"  
  
"Okay!"  
  
"Good."  
  
"Uh…right."  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Um, nothing."  
  
"Cloud?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"Nothing!"  
  
"Whatever!"  
  
"No. I'm serious!"  
  
"Tifa!" a voice called from a distance.  
  
Tifa's head whirled in that direction, then back at Cloud. He smiled and nodded. She smiled and nodded back. She stood up and walked over to Cloud. She leaned on her toes as she gave him a peck on the cheek. His eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as she whispered in his ear.  
  
"Remember, you promised." She said before she ran of in the darkness.  
  
When she disappeared, Cloud gingerly touched the spot where Tifa's lips had come into contact with his skin, as a tingle ran up and down his spine.  
  
"I'm never watching this cheek again." He whispered to himself as he walked away.  
  
* * *  
  
"Tifa, wake up." Raina whispered, "Come on, wake up."  
  
Tifa again was in a battle with her mind, whether to wake up to the loud, frighting world or to stay in the blissful, yet hurtful, childhood dreams. She fought for a couple of minutes, but the easy way out won and she slid back into her dreams.  
  
* * *  
  
Please review if you get the chance. Flames are, of course welcome, but please put a reason why it sucked. By the way, thank you for all the reviews, they always cheer me up when I have a bad day, and quite frankly, I've been having a lot of those.  
  
FireLily 


	9. Problems, problems, and even more proble...

Disclaimer: Gosh, it's been a long time since I've done this. None of the characters are mine. They're Square's people. But the plot is mine, so DIE! YOU CAN"T HAVE IT!!!!!!  
  
A/N: Hiya there! Long time no see! I've been rather busy lately, so you'll have to excuse me. Anyway, I plan to be writing a lot because this story's already way behind schedule. So here it goes!  
  
* * *  
  
"Tifa, please, wake up! Wake up, god, wake up!" Raina whispered fiercely. She shook Tifa's sleeping form unmercifully.  
  
Slowly, Tifa's crimson eyes groggily met Raina's mystic ones. In Tifa's eyes, happiness, bitterness, and hurt swam in and around, like a whirlpool of memories. Raina's eyes told a different story. It bore the chains of fear.  
  
"What's wrong, Raina?" she asked quietly, becoming awake and alert as soon as she saw Raina's eyes.  
  
"Don't try to get up. I don't have much time to tell you, but Hojo's out. He put me in charge of your next infusion. I'm afraid I will have to do it. After this infusion, you'll be working for Hojo."  
  
"I would never!" Tifa shouted angrily.  
  
"You don't understand Tifa. The reason why you've been dreaming of your memories is because you will lose them. Your life will be stolen from you. The quickna does that. I have to get you out of here now." She replied.  
  
Tifa nodded feebly. She didn't want to lose her life.  
  
"Tifa, take my hand. I'll help you up."  
  
This time Tifa shook her head.  
  
" All my life," she whispered faintly, "I've depended on others who've tried to help me. And you know what happened to all of them? They died," She turned her head away as a tear ran down her cheek, "They all died."  
  
" I won't die." Raina whispered pleadingly.  
  
Tifa's eyes darted back to the woman's face.  
  
"Why would you risk your life for me?" she whispered peculiarly.  
  
"Because I never knew you, but you risked your life for me."  
  
"What?"  
  
" You and your friends risked your lives to save the world. You shouldn't have to keep trying to prove yourselves to the world. The world should have to prove themselves to you."  
  
"Raina-"  
  
"No, let me finish. I lived in Nibelheim with you and Cloud Strife. I was short, but pretty. I wasn't one of the girls who despised you, or the ones who wanted to be exactly like you. I just wanted to be your friend because you always smiled at me in the hallway. When your boyfriend, Rocky, tripped me and threw all my books in the trashcan, you stuck up for me. You broke up with him."  
  
Tifa's eyes widened at the memory. She scratched her tangled mass of filthy hair.  
  
She balled her hand into a fist determinedly.  
  
"Alright, Raina."  
  
As the two women smiled happily at each other, an angry shadow swept past the door and slammed it shut, locking the two women in the room without a key.  
  
"Oh, Raina, you are going to die."  
  
* * *  
  
"So what's up, Spike? Why'd she leave?" Cloud whirled around in surprise.  
  
Barret strode over to the balcony railing, leaning casually on it and taking a breath of the fresh night air.  
  
"What's the story?"  
  
Cloud tipped back over the rail.  
  
"I guess I wasn't paying enough attention."  
  
"There's gotta be more then that. You two fight or somethin'?"  
  
"No, no fights. Just I loved her, but didn't let her know that."  
  
Barret shot a side-glance at the young man.  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"I felt like I was betraying Aeris." Cloud replied scratching the back of his neck.  
  
Barret chuckled quietly to himself.  
  
"Are you that stupid?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Aeris would want you to be with Tifa if you truly loved her. Even someone like you has gotta know that much!" He said, thrashing his arms around in the air.  
  
Cloud moaned and covered his face with his hands. He leaned his elbows on the railing in defeat.  
  
"What have I done, Barret? Instead of loving her, like I want to, I pushed her away. What am I gonna do?"  
  
Barret stopped waving his arms around in the air and stared at Cloud with a fatherly tone swirling in his gaze.  
  
"You're gonna keep your promise."  
  
"What? Damn it, Barret, quit confusing me."  
  
"The promise you two made when you were young. You're gonna keep your promise to her."  
  
"You're right."  
  
"Since when am I not?" Barret asked sarcastically.  
  
"When I am." Cloud replied cleverly.  
  
Cloud gawked at Barret, but his stare turned into a smile.  
  
"Will you help me?" he asked gazing up at the stars.  
  
Barret glanced upward also.  
  
"Why do think I'm here, Spike?"  
  
"To take up space, food, and money."  
  
Cloud had to duck the fist flying through the air to club him.  
  
"You were seriously about to hit me, weren't you?"  
  
Barret shrugged.  
  
"No, Tifa would kill me."  
  
Slowly, the smile faded off Cloud' face.  
  
* * *  
  
Okay, there's another chapter for you people. Please review! 


	10. Caught

A/N: Hiya there! I've concluded that I've held of the story to long for some people, so if you review, thank you, but I'll really be writing this for myself from now on. I'm probably gonna wrap this up pretty soon (hint, hint maybe spring break!) and then you can review, flame, ignore, or whatever.  
  
Disclaimer: I'm really sick of doing this, so just go to any of my other nine chapters and read their disclaimers!  
  
* * *  
  
"I actually thought you had some intellectual, Raina." Hojo said, a mockingly disappointed tone evident in his voice. He shook his head sadly, "You were supposed to be the one."  
  
Raina struggled at the make shift bonds that held her to the rickety chair. As she struggled, another woman's body laid in a distorted position. The breath of the form was even, but amazingly slow. It seemed as if it didn't inhale at all.  
  
The hands were tied together, flung in a position that would be deemed as very, very uncomfortable. The waist was contorted from the original position that it was tossed into.  
  
"So you helped this little pathetic woman. It's not like it matters anyway. She's going to die anyway and it's all thanks to you, my darling." He said vindictively, running his hand affectionately in her hair.  
  
He then rose up his hand and it made contact with her cheek, accompanied with horrendous pain. Raina's head snapped back viciously as a crack could be heard around the room. She panted in pain as she brought her eyes pleadingly to his.  
  
"Do what you will to me, Hojo. Just leave Tifa out of this." She whispered agonizingly.  
  
"Do you think," Hojo drawled, " That I would allow you to die for no reason at all? Oh no, Raina, I would not. You're going to die protecting her. Oh yes, protecting her with no chance of seeing the next day." He said as he strode purposely to the door.  
  
Centimeters before his hand touched the doorknob, he whirled around and harshly kicked the twisted body lying defenseless on the floor. A sharp intake of breath could be heard, escorted with a moan of hurt, echoing through the room. Hojo smiled as the air crackled dangerously around him. He held up a looming finger.  
  
"I love you, Raina." He said. He then slammed the door, leaving the two women, one conscience and the other unconscious, to dream of the horror to come.  
  
* * *  
  
" We're leaving now, Yuffie! Hurry up!" Cloud called as he adjusted the straps on his backpack.  
  
Yuffie finished folding her portable tent and squished it into her pack. She shouldered it and ran to catch up with the others. She flashed them all am innocent smile as she skipped ahead of them.  
  
"Yuffie, damn it, quit being so annoying." Barret called out after her.  
  
She turned around and stuck her tongue out at her in a childish response.  
  
Barret groaned.  
  
"Cloud?"  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"Can I kill her?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Aww, why not?"  
  
"Because she's part of this team."  
  
"Part of this team my ass! She's freaking dead weight!"  
  
"Barret" Cloud warned threatened.  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"I've got my eye on you."  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
"Come here and find out, you-"  
  
"Oh shut up, both of you. It's irritating." Vincent broke in.  
  
"You guys, I think I found something you guys are definitely going to want to see!" Yuffie called in the distance.  
  
"What is it?" Cloud called as he hurried his pace.  
  
"Well, I said come here didn't I?"  
  
When they all reached Yuffie, they saw the object in her hand, Cloud gasped. He snatched the object out of her hand and held it in a death grip.  
  
"She would never lose this." He whispered.  
  
The group nodded silently in agreement.  
  
"Do you think she's close?" Yuffie murmured.  
  
"Yes, I don't know how, but she's close." Vincent replied quietly.  
  
Barret's gaze was just fixated on the object in Cloud's in hand. The big man trembled as wells of water formed in his eyes, staring at the object bleakly; as if it were oblivion itself.  
  
"Will she be okay?" Barret said.  
  
"Don't know." Cloud murmured sadly.  
  
"You guys, we have to find her!" Yuffie shrieked.  
  
"Young one, that was clearly our intention from the beginning." Vincent claimed.  
  
Yuffie just rolled her eyes idiotically.  
  
"Speak English, Vincent!"  
  
* * *  
  
NOOOOOOOOOOOO! How could I stop there? You wanna know how? Because I have a major test that can make or break my flawless History grade! Sorry! Flames are welcome, just include why you present flames in my presence. 


	11. "Just Checked Out?"

A/N: Hiya! I'm wired on coffee at the moment, so excuse me. I have decided that I'm getting closer to my long awaited ending, so I'll not bother you. I don't know if any of you want a sequel, I don't even know if any of you want this story period. If you do want a sequel, email me at eviethompson@yahoo.com. Anyway, I appreciate any reviews and on with the story.  
  
Disclaimer: Go to chapter eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, or one, okay?  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Cloud burst in through the abandoned shack door. He panted like an animal; his sides were ripping with excruciating pain. Yuffie entered the make shift with unusual caution, glancing around her shoulder every five seconds wearily. Barret followed from behind her, his head hitting the solitary light bulb, humming distantly.  
  
Vincent walked in calmly after Barret and headed straight to the metal table, placed in the center of the cramped room. He ran his hand gently over the steel surface, grimacing in metal pain.  
  
"Was she here?" Yuffie asked carefully.  
  
The discontinued breathing made the room all the more silent.  
  
Vincent nodded.  
  
"I'll kill him." Cloud claimed with deadly resolve.  
  
"Kill who?" Barret asked curiously.  
  
Cloud turned around to face the man behind him.  
  
"Hojo."  
  
WHAT!?" Yuffie and Barret exclaimed at once.  
  
"Hojo has Tifa."  
  
"And why didn't we know of this?" Vincent inquired quietly.  
  
Cloud shrugged dismissively.  
  
"I thought I told you. Sorry."  
  
"Leave it to a guy whose hair takes up most of his brain space to lead." Barret mumbled angrily.  
  
Yuffie nodded in agreement, " Cloud, do us a favor and loosen your belt. I think it's cutting of your circulation of blood to your brain!" she exclaimed.  
  
Vincent held up his hand, silencing Cloud from defending himself.  
  
"We're are wasting time with these childish arguments. Let us focus on the task at hand. Tifa is at the hand of Hojo. We all know what he is capable of," he glanced at Cloud, "Even some of us have experienced how he is first hand."  
  
Yuffie blinked in astonishment. Vincent noticed her stare and directed his cold, piercing glare to wash over her like cold water.  
  
"What?" he asked irritably.  
  
"The vampire has spoken!" Yuffie exclaimed.  
  
"I'm not a vampire."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Yuffie, don't irritate me righ-"  
  
"Yuffie?"  
  
"Yes, Cloud?"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Geeze, you guys don't all have to yell!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Tifa, are you awake?" Raina asked worriedly.  
  
Tifa groaned inwardly in pain.  
  
"No." she replied distressingly.  
  
"Tifa, quit playing around!"  
  
"I'm not."  
  
"Oh, stop it!"  
  
"Where are we, Raina?"  
  
"We're at the burial grounds of the Andrelites."  
  
"Tell me something, Raina."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"We're going to die today, aren't we?"  
  
"Most likely."  
  
"Think it's gonna hurt?"  
  
"Most definitely."  
  
"How bad?"  
  
"Oh, I'm thinking real bad. I mean really, really bad."  
  
"You know what?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"So was I." Tifa sighed.  
  
"Go figure." Raina replied distantly.  
  
"…"  
  
"Tifa? Tifa? Tifa, wake up! Gosh, Tifa, quit blacking out!  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
"How much?"  
  
Hojo smiled triumphantly.  
  
"It's not for sale."  
  
"Seriously, Hojo. How much?"  
  
"It's not for sale."  
  
A pen dropped to the cold stone floor, booming around the room.  
  
"Then we'll just have to take from you, won't we?"  
  
The man smiled menacingly and pulled out revolver. He aimed it at Hojo's head. In the dim lamplight, the beautifully furnished office was spelled like a prison.  
  
He placed his forefinger lightly on the trigger.  
  
"Nice doing business with you." He said.  
  
Hojo quickly pulled the man's wrist and reversed the gun into his hand, facing the man's forehead. He quickly pulled the trigger as a piece of speeding metal slammed into flesh and bone. A red puddle formed thickly on the recipient of the bullet's head before he even hit the ground.  
  
Hojo bent down, aimed, and another shot echoed through the quiet room. Another puddle of blood formed on the carpet, with tiny scarlet rivers descending down his head slowly.  
  
"No, nice doing business with you."  
  
He then pocketed the gun and left the office.  
  
* * *  
  
Reviews are welcome! Thank you! 


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